Matthew McConaughey trademarks catchphrase in bid to stop AI deepfakes
Matthew McConaughey has trademarked his iconic catchphrase, “All right, all right, all right”, in a bid to stop AI deepfakes.
McConaughey used the phrase, inspired by a song by The Doors, for the first time in the 1993 classic film, Dazed and Confused, which is now synonymous with his career. He also said it during his ‘Best Actor’ acceptance speech at the Oscars in 2014 for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club.
It is among the eight trademark applications relating to his voice and likeness that McConaughey has registered. They were filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office to prevent apps or AI from using his voice or likeness without McConaughey’s permission.
The Oscar-winner told The Wall Street Journal of his decision, “My team and I want to know that when my voice or likeness is ever used, it’s because I approved and signed off on it.”
McConaughey added, “We want to create a clear perimeter around ownership with consent and attribution the norm in an AI world.”
However, his lawyer Kevin Yorn admitted, “I don’t know what a court will say in the end. But we have to at least test this.”
McConaughey is an investor in ElevenLabs. In November, the company announced it is working with a range of actors, both dead and alive, to launch the ‘Iconic Voice Marketplace’, which will allow AI to use the voices of high-profile figures who have consented to their likeness being used.
Michael Caine is among those who have signed up to ElevenLabs. In a statement, he said that the company is “helping others”, before adding, “ElevenLabs is at the very forefront of technology, using innovation not to replace humanity, but to celebrate it.”
Through ElevenLabs, McConaughey recently unveiled plans to create an audio version of his Lyrics of Livin’ newsletter in Spanish.
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